Doll head support mechanism



July 30, 1968 R. GARDEL ETAL 3,394,494

DOLL HEAD SUPPORT MECHANISM Filed Feb. 1, 1967 FIG.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS July 30, 1968 R. GARDEL ETAL DOLL HEAD SUPPORT MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1967 United States Patent 3,394,494 DOLL HEAD SUPPORT MECHANISM Robert Gardel, 11 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y.

10023,'and Egon Gorsky, 365 E. 46th St, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11203 Filed Feb. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 613,158

.10 Claims. (Cl. 46237) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to support mechanism for securing the head of a doll or the like to its body (torso) in such a manner that the head can turn through about 90 horizontally while tending to face forward when the doll is held erect. The connection of the head to a movable element of the support mechanism may be looseenough to permit slight nodding movements in any direction, characteristic of the instability of the head of an infant, and the head may also be arranged to turn right or left by gravity when the body is inclined laterally one way or the other. It is intended that. the head should be provided with a simple magnet, in the vicinity of the mouth, so that the head can be caused to turn as needed either toward or away from simulated toy feeding utensils containing magnets arranged to attract or repel the nearest pole of the magnet near the mouth.

It has been known for many years to mount the head of a figure toy (animal or doll) for more or less free movement in the neck opening of the body by providing the head with a counterweight and suspending this subassembly at a point above its center of gravity from a support in the body. The mechanism disclosed herein permits free and easy movement of the head in all directions, within positive limits and without the need for a counterweight. Known means for connecting a doll head to its body in which the mechanism causes the head to move in a predetermined cycle are not pertinent to the present mechanism.

The mechanism is shown installed in a doll body of relatively firm molded plastic, but it could be adapted for use in a soft-bodied or stuffed doll provided steps are taken to ensure that the stufling or filling does not interfere with free movement of the movable parts.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a vertical fore-and-aft section through a doll body and head connected by the mechanisrn;

FIG. 2 represents a vertical elevation of the head support spindle, turned 90 from the position of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a horizontal section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1, looking downward;

FIG. 4 represents a detail perspective view of the ferrule carried by the head support spindle;

FIG. 5 represents a detail elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the lower end of the spindle and the fixed yoke on which it is seated;

FIG. 6 represents a diagrammatic detail horizontal plan illustrating one type of movement of the head in Patented July 30, 1968 response to the proximity of a magnetized feeding utensil; v

FIG. 7 represents a plan view of an alternative type of feeding utensil;

FIG. 8 represents a side elevation, with parts in vertica section, of a modified form of doll body with a modified form of mechanism;

FIG. 9 represents a detail horizontal section on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the doll body (torso) 1 is formed with a neck opening 2 in which is an inwardly projecting annular flange 3, spaced from theupper edge of the opening. A double plate 4, formed by securing together a flat disc 5 and a dished disc 6, is fixed in the neck opening, the peripheral portions of the discs 5 and 6 lying respectively below and above the flange 3v and gripping it firmly. The double plate 4 is bored at its center to permit passage of the head support spindle 7, and the plate 4 may also have diametically disposed holes or slots to receive the upper ends 8 of the yoke 9, said ends being shown as reduced in width and riveted over to fix the yoke firmly to the plate 4. The yoke 9 is vertically elongated, with its sides connected at the bottom by a V-shaped part 10. The position of the yoke in the doll body can be stabilized by providing the yoke with an extension 11 the lower end of which is of reduced size I and fits snugly within a vertically elongated grommet 12 at the bottom of the body. The elongation of the grommet 12 ensures that the extension 11 will be reliably engaged even if the body dimensions vary in molding or are varied in use, as by compressing the body and thus elongating it. A spring 12 between the upper flange of the grommet and the interior surface of the body holds the outer (lower) flange of the grommet resiliently against the outer surface of the body.

The spindle 7 has a flattened and expanded lower portion in which is formed an opening 13 having parallel vertical sides and an inverted V-shaped top, the angles formed both in the bottom 10 of the yoke and in the top of the opening 13 being conveniently about The height of the opening 13 is suflicient to receive freely the part 10 of the yoke when the spindle and yoke are assembled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. The spindle is permitted a slight vertical movement with respect to the plate 4 and yoke 9, this movement being limited by the provision of a washer 14 on the spindle just below the plate and upset projections 15 below the washer.

Above the plate 4, the spindle 7 is flattened for a short distance to form laterally projecting lugs 16. The ferrule 17 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) has an axial bore which fits closely on the round part of the spindle 7 above the lugs 16, the bore being widened at diametrically opposite points from the bottom part way to the top in order to form keyways 18 (FIGS. 1 and 4) adapted to engage over the lugs 16 to prevent rotation of the ferrule with respect to the spindle. A stop 19 (similar to the washer 14 and projections 15) may be provided to hold the ferrule at the desired elevation above the plate 4. The ferrule is generally cylindrical but has integrally formed projecting cars 20 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

The thimble-shaped plug 21 has a cylindrical bore 22, the diameter of which is somewhat greater than that of the ferrule 17, the bore being provided with vertical grooves 23 of a size to receive loosely the ears 20, as shown in FIG. 3. The spindle 7 passes through a hole in the top of the plug, which latter is secured to the spindle by the provision of the compression spring 24, washer 25 and cotter pin 26 or the like. The plug 21 is provided with an external annular flange 27 which engages with a complementary annular groove 28 within the neck opening of the doll head 29.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the doll head is so connected to the plug 21, ferrule 17 and spindle 7 that these parts rotate as a unit, while the loose fit between the ferrule and plug permits slight nodding movement of the head in any direction. The spring 24 tends to return the head to its erect position from any such nod. Limited unsteadiness of the head is a characteristic of young infants and the efiect achieved by the means described above is realistic and appealing. It will be appreciated that the point of support, vertically, for the head and its associated parts is at the lower part of the spindle, where the inverted V-shaped top of the opening 13 seats on the V-shaped bottom 10 of the yoke 9 (FIGS. 1 and 6). Due to gravity, the position of equilibrium between these parts is that in which the plane of the opening 13 is normal to the plane of the yoke 9, any rotation of the spindle from this position causing it to be lifted by the interaction of the inclined planes constituting the V- shaped top of opening 13 and bottom of the yoke 9, as shown in FIG. 6. When a force which has turned the head is released, the head and associated parts will return to the position of FIG. 1. The engagement of the spindle with the yoke definitely limits the rotation of the head to about 90, that is, 45 to each side from the frontfacing position.

A special utility results from the head support mechanism described above when the dolls mouth is provided with a bar magnet 30, bearing a definite polarization particularly at the front end, adjacent the lips. The magnet may be fitted snugly in a molded cavity, as shown, or could be held in the desired position in any other suitable manner. It is intended that separate magnetized utensils, such as a toy milk bottle 31 (FIG. 6) or a spoon 32 (FIG. 7) be provided in order to utilize the magnetic feature, the magnet 33 in the bottle 31 having its poles so located that the end adjacent the nipple exhibits a strong attraction for the pole of magnet adjacent the lips. In this situation, a child proposing to feed the doll need only hold the bottle near the dolls mouth, to right or left, and the head will turn to bring the lips into register with the nipple end of the bottle (FIG. 6).

Conversely, a negative response will be obtained when the toy spoon 32 containing a simulation of some possibly distasteful food and concealing a magnet having its pole nearest the tip end the same as the pole in the lips, is presented to the doll. As such a spoon is brought close to the dolls mouth the head will turn aside in a motion of rejection.

Since the head moves easily from its front-facing position of equilibrium, it may be designed to turn when the doll is inclined to right or left or laid down on its right or left side, this effect resulting from the provision of some additional weight in the rear part of the head. A thickened part 34, for this purpose, is shown in FIG. 1, by way of example. When the doll is inclined to the right the head will turn left and vice versa.

The modified mechanism shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is particularly adapted for use in doll bodies which are larger or which are made of more flexible plastic material and thus are capable of substantial distortion. In the form shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the body cannot and will not in any manner undergo vertical elongation in excess of about 10% since greater distortion would disengage the extension 11 from the grommet 12. According to FIG. 8, the yoke 35 is identical with the yoke 9 but has its lower extension 36 engaged through a slot in the simple bracket 37 fixed to the back of the body as by rivets 38 and projecting horizontally inward. The upper ends 39 of the yoke pass through holes in a single flat disc 40 where they are twisted or riveted to attach the yoke firmly to the disc, and the periphery of the disc is snap fitted into an annular groove 41 within the neck opening 42 of the doll body.

The spindle 43 is similar, throughout its lower portion, to the spindle 7 and its engagement with the yoke 35 in the same as previously described and shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. Just below the disc 40 the spindle is provided with small lugs 44 to limit its upward movement (as in the case of lugs 15, FIG. 1) and above the disc 40 additional lugs 45 are provided to limit the downward movement of the head mounting plug 46 through which the spindle passes axially. The plug 46 is a solid piece having a groove 47 to receive the inwardly turned flange 48 forming the neck opening of the doll head 49. The plug 46 need not be keyed to the spindle but may be made to resist rotation by the provision of a strong compression spring 50 hearing on the top of the plug and retained upwardly by the cotter pin 51 passing through a hole in the spindle near its upper end. Rotation of the plug 46 with respect to the disc 40 is positively limited by the engagement of a pin 52, projecting downwardly from the plug, with the ends of an arcuate slot 53 in the disc (FIG. 9).

It will be noted that the mechanism of FIGS. 8 and 9 serves to mount the head rigidly, permitting no nodding but providing for free turning right and left, as in the case of FIGS. 1 to 7, with a bias toward the straight ahead position due to gravity, resulting solely from the V-on-V engagement illustrated in FIG. 5. A month magnet (like the magnet 30 in FIG. 1) is also provided in the head 49, for the purposes described above.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and hence we do not intend to be limited to the details shown or described herein except as the same are included in the claims or may be required by disclosures of the prior art.

What we claim is:

1. A doll head support mechanism for connecting a doll head to a doll body in a manner to permit limited movement of the head with respect to the body, wherein the improvement comprises the provision of an upwardly facing seat fixed within the body, an element non-rotatably fixed to the head and having a downwardly facing part adapted to rest on said seat, said upwardly and downwardly facing seats, when engaging constituting means permitting limited rotary movement of said element in both directions from a position of equilibrium, and means journaling said element for rotation on an axis parallel to the vertical axis of the doll body.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the seat has a V-shaped profile and the downwardly facing part has an inverted V-shaped profile.

3. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the element is a vertically disposed spindle extending from a point within the head to a point near the middle of the body, and said seat being adjacent said latter point.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3 in which the seat has a V-shaped profile and the downwardly facing part is constituted by the bifurcated lower portion of the spindle the branches of said portion joining to give said part an inverted V-shaped profile.

5. A mechanism according to claim 2 which includes biasing means tending to hold the downwardly facing part in a vertical plane perpendicular to the vertical plane of the seat.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5 in which the biasing means includes gravitational forces.

7. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the connection between the element and the head comprises interlocking parts fitted loosely enough to permit free nodding movement of the head and means biasing said parts toward the position in which the head is held erect.

8. A mechanism according to claim 1 which includes a magnet mounted in the doll head in the vicinity of the mouth.

7 9. A mechanism according to claim 8 in which the magnet is a bar magnet having one end in the mouth of 5 6 the doll, said end exhibiting a definite predetermined pol-ar- 2,756,540 7/ 1956 Cleaver. ization. 2,807,119 9/ 1957 Beebe.

10. A mechanism according to claim 8 which includes 2,836,829 6/ 1958 Weih 46-161 X the provision of a separate magnetic body adapted to be 3,010,253 10/ 1961 Ostrander 46161 brought within the field of said magnet whereby the doll 5 3,229,421 1/ 1966 Ostrander 46119 X head may be caused to move rotatively.

FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited 670,489 4/1952 Great Britain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 531 912 11/1950 Kahn 10 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

2,593,187 4/ 1952 Riechelson. R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 2,618,099 11/1952 Samet. 

